Camico
Why Terre di Camico
In the heart of Sicily, 900 meters above sea level, stands Caltabelotta. An ancient location in the interior of the province of Agrigento that amazes for its incredible position. Perched on mountain peaks and following the irregular and harsh slope of the land, it dominates undisturbed by nature or other cities from the top of its mountain. Due to its geographical position and its territorial foundations, it has been identified by noted historians such as Inverges, Boudrand and Ottavio Gaetani, as the sacred and ancient city of Sicana di Camico, on whose ruins the Greek Triocala was built.
Better known to historians as Kamikos - or Κἀμικος in ancient Greek - it was the location, for all its splendour, of the palace of King Kokalos. As legend has it, the king gave refuge to Daedalus who was fleeing from Crete and Minos’ labyrinth and it is said that it was actually at Camico where he met his end.
The company’s name “Terre di Camico” arose from the particular location of the olive groves which, extending undisturbed through a territory so rich in history and magic, as described by Coelho, they show us the bridge between the visible and invisible worlds, teaching us the lessons of both.
The Company and the Land
Terre di Camico is an olive farm found in Western Sicily between the territories of Sciacca and Caltabelotta. Places that, although geographically close, boast a marked diversity. The first, Sciacca, is a port town, noted for the sea, the carnival and its ceramics; in front lie the crystal-clear waters of the Strait of Sicily with the island of Pantelleria and in the vicinity there are the ancient Greek cities of Heraclea Minoa and Selinunte. A short distance up the coast is Agrigento, the city of the the Valley of the Temples, and to the east there is Mont San Calogero, where you can find thermal waters.
The second, Caltabelotta, a small charming mountain town, lying on the high peaks of the Sicani mountains, since time immemorial one of the oldest cities in Sicily. Also called the “City of Peace”, it was the location of the armistice between the Angevins and the Aragonese in 1302, ending the War of the Vespers.
Follow us on Instagram
The land
Our olive groves are found, therefore, between territories with a diversity in climate, structure of the soil and, consequently, different atmosphere and landscapes. From both of the territories the olives gain different virtues and characteristics.
In the territory of Caltabellota our land is located in the areas of Troccoli and Martusa. The first: a zone characterised by a small valley where the River Verdura passes; the second: a zone of flat land only a few kilometres from the sea in a setting that seems like a painting. In the territory of Sciacca our land is in the area of Quarti San Domenico. This is a zone characterised by olive groves and vineyards, not far from Fontana Calda, the area where one of the five active sources of thermal water can be found.